American Repertory Ballet presents a contemporary classic

Leighton ChenAmerican Repertory Ballet in "The Eyes That Gently Touch"

With “The Nutcracker” season almost upon us, American Repertory Ballet found the time to present a new program, on Saturday at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg.

In-house choreographers supplied a couple of premieres, but the highlight of the evening was the troupe’s revival of “The Eyes That Gently Touch,” by Kirk Peterson. Giving sleek, modern form to romantic ideals, “Eyes” is a contemporary classic.

To a rippling and insistent piano score by Philip Glass, played live onstage by Jonathan Benjamin, three couples take turns dancing. The transitions between these duets are as intriguing as the duets themselves. In a recurring image, a man appears standing behind his partner, wrapping his arm around her with his hand pressed tenderly against her shoulder. They have come to rest in a private world where their unspoken thoughts seem to offer them shelter. Each time a couple who has just finished dancing stand locked in this embrace, the other two couples come bursting in. They frisk and leap impatiently, as if goaded by desire.

Once the stage has cleared, each duet reveals new inventions: powerhouse lifts and snaking, fluid gestures; intricate footwork and handholds that enlace the partners. The restlessness of “coupé” lunges contrasts with sculptural poses sharply etched, with the choreographer showing a preference for silhouettes. Both men and women swoon, arching backward in poses that suggest they are overwhelmed but content to surrender.

Peterson spent years as a dancer and a ballet master with American Ballet Theatre, and his experience shows. “Eyes” was a stretch for this cast, but Karen Leslie Moscato and Alexander Dutko rose to its demands, and their energy in the first duet was thrilling.

In comparison, the new works on the program seemed like filler. Since ARB offered some impressive programming in the spring, including a terrific revival of Twyla Tharp’s “Eight Jelly Rolls,” was it really necessary to start all over again so soon? Sometimes the dance world’s obsession with novelty can be tiresome.

Choreographer Matthew Keefe opened the evening with “Fantasy for Violin, Piano and Ballet,” a piece for ranks of dancers in glittering white satin and tulle (think Balanchine’s “Diamonds”). Some of Keefe’s designs are lovely, as when the lines part allowing dancers standing behind them to emerge creating new figures.

Keefe undercuts his ballet’s impact, however, by superimposing a dual plot line. While soloist Shaye Firer toys with a group of male admirers, who pursue her fruitlessly, Alice Cao finds happiness with a single partner, David DuBois. Apart from their triteness, these romantic adventures laden with frivolous gestures prevent the ballet’s classical steps from telling their own story. The clash between Keefe’s juvenile characters and their dignified surroundings is jarring—like watching an episode of “The Bachelorette” incongruously set amid the splendors of the Taj Mahal.

Mary Barton’s “Straight Up with a Twist” is less polished, but more promising. Barton’s cast frolics to a recording by Kaila Flexer and Third Ear, one of those bands that mine folk traditions to assemble an up-tempo pastiche. The ballet rarely settles down to business—one exception being a sly duet for Moscato and Marc St.-Pierre—but it’s harmless fun, and a satisfying way to end the evening.